Sunday 21st November

Despite yesterday's blog post saying no birds had been seen, it seems at least one person was out and about as  Mary Redman's dad counted a group of 5 Chough yesterday at Octofad quarry.

Better weather today: just a very few light showers of rain during a mostly sunny and dry day with a fairly cold northerly breeze.

David Dinsley started the ball rolling with sightings from The Oa of at least one Tree Sparrow with the House Sparrows and a male Blackcap feeding on apples at Kinnabus this morning - I wonder if the Blackcap is just a very late migrant or going to overwinter?. Meanwhile at the opposite end of the island, Mary Redman noted an odd looking swan on the loch at Claddach. It was like a Whooper, but smaller, but flew off before a full ID or photos could be taken. Bewick's Swan is a first thought, but extremely rare on Islay. Others on the WhatsApp group commented that we had a couple of “odd” swans, smaller and with dark bills last year that we tried turning into Tundra Swans (the N. American race of Bewick's), but in fact were small, aberrant Whoopers. Hopefully Mary’s mystery swan will show up elsewhere on the island and better views will allow its true identity to be worked out.

Up by Glenegedale Martin Armstrong had a Brambling on his bird feeder this morning and this afternoon over at Kilchoman, Margaret Brooke had 2 White-tailed Eagles and 1 Golden Eagle flying above the crags behind her house.

Finally, a report was posted on Birdguides (at 12.52pm to be precise) of 3 Lesser Scaup (including 2 males) on Loch Skerrols today. Hopefully the observer can be contacted for more information and the birds confirmed by other birders tomorrow. There has been a single first winter male Lesser Scaup reported there earlier this autumn, plus a couple of young/female Ring-necked Ducks and possible/probable Greater Scaup – along with numerous Tufted Ducks.

So, with this and the mystery swan it is all eyes open and searching for odd wildfowl tomorrow.